Photo-Safari @ Sasquatch!

First off, I would like to apologize for my absence. I have not posted anything in a long while because I was preoccupied with practicum at BCIT. It got a little crazy at times but I powered through like everyone else.

To celebrate the end of my first year of Broadcast Journalism, I went on a little trip down to Sasquatch Music Festival in George, Washington.

Fellow colleague Mitch Pollock and I were supposed to get media passes to cover the event but we were refused only weeks before the festival.

This little set back did not keep me from bringing my camera and taking some good shots.

A hipster rides his bicycle along the stoney roads in the Gorge's camp ground.

The campsite at the Gorge is a giant circular crop field. Campers can be overwhelmed at first by the layout of the land. One solution is to set up a landmark in your campsite. This one particular site has an American flag as its indicator.

A young man plays a mandolin from the back of a station wagon in the campgrounds at the Gorge. Playing music is a popluar activity to passtime before the concert grounds open.

Three young men sit on top of an RV and look over their campsite. Sitting and waiting is an important part of the Sasquatch experience. There is usually a lot of time before the concerts begin so the festival goers pass that time with drinking and drugs.

Amanda Coumbos brushes her teeth from the back of a van in the Gorge camping grounds during the first first day of the Sasquatch music festival. Brushing teeth is and baby wipes becomes the most important thing in upkeeping personal hygiene while camping at the festival.

A group of young men kick around a soccer ball in the camp grounds at Sasquatch Music Festival.

A young woman poses for a picture in the middle of the campground roads. Thousands of people attending the festival want to replicate a Psuedo-Native-American/Neo-Hippy look with head bands, feathers, and body paint.

A young man dressed in a star costume walks around the camp ground hours before the first shows at Sasquatch Music Festival.

Two young men play beersbee in the camp grounds. The point of beersbee is to knock your opponents beer bottles off of a post. The opponents must try to catch the falling bottles or frisbee to not get scored on.

Weird sights and sounds are normal at Sasquatch! Music Festival. A Young man carries around a blowup doll on the first morning of the concerts.

Three girls excitedly invade the frame for a forced photograph at the Gorge's camping grounds.

Two men walk along the campsite selling neon Sasquatch hats they had designed for the four day festival.

Stephanie Talbot sits within a camp with body paint on her arm.

Three young women pass around a long wooden pipe and smoke an unknown substance from the bowl.

Once again, hula-hoop girl takes the time to do her thing in the camp grounds at Sasquatch Music Festival at the Gorge in George, Washington State.

A woman hula-hoops in the early morning of the first day of the Sasquatch music festival at the Gorge in Washington State. Hula-hoops seemed to be "in" this year as a popular passtime in the camp.

Hula-Hoop girl takes to the roof of her car to demonstrate her talent yet again.

Another hula-hoop girl does her thing at the top of the hill at the Gorge. Hula-hoops were the latest rage at this year's Sasquatch Music Festival.

Female vocalist from Black Mountain Amber Webber sings on the Big-Foot Stage at Sasquatch Music Festival.

Black Mountain performs on the Big-Foot Stage at Sasquatch Music Festival at the Gorge in George, Washington on Memorial Day.

Black Mountain guitarist and singer Stephen McBean plays on the Big-Foot Stage at Sasquatch Music Festival at the Gorge in George, Washington.

Female vocalist from Black Mountain Amber Webber sings on the Big-Foot Stage at Sasquatch Music Festival.

People pack the Banana Shack at night to catch a DJ set. One young man is chewing on a glow stick while enjoying the show.

A Beverage Enforcement officer tells one of the festival goers to get off of a garbage can that is being used as a platform for a better vantage point to see the bands. The young man on the garbage can eventually gets down from his perch.

A group of girls decide to go topless and put body paint hand prints over their breasts.

The silhouette of Sleigh Bells guitarist Derek E. Miller as seen from the rowdy crowd in the Banana Shack at Sasquatch Music Festival.

The Glitch Mob plays their set in the Banana Shack at the Sasquatch Music Festival. The Banana Shack is where many DJ's and smaller rowdy shows get played later during the day.

A man wears an elaborate Native American head-dress to Sasquatch Music Festival. The four days of music attracts many different styles to the Gorge at George, Washington.

Two hipsters sit in the grass by the mainstage at Sasquath Music Festival.

Three young men wash their hands after using the Honey Buckets located in the camp grounds at Sasquatch Music Festival.

A young women waits her turn to use the Honey Buckets at the Gorge's campgrounds at Sasquatch Music Festival.

This is a test. How many items in this picture reveal that both these people are hipsters.

A young man embraces the young women in front of him while waiting for Black Mountain to hit the stage.

Guitarist James Bowman from Against Me! rocks out an Am Chord at Sasquatch! Music Festival at the Gorge.

Tom Gabel from Against Me! plays in front of a couple thousand people during the first day of Sasquatch! Music Festival.

Andrew Seward from Against Me! plays bass in front of thousands of people at 2011 Sasquatch! Music Festival at the Gorge in George, Washington

Death From Above 1979 bassist Jesse F. Keeler plays at the main stage at Sasquatch Music Festival at the Gorge in George, Washington.

Death From Above 1979 bassist Jesse F. Keeler plays at the main stage. Thousands of fans rushed the front to watch the reunited band playing at Sasquatch!

A couple people jump rope in the furtherst camping grounds at the Gorge in George Washington. This area has been given the nick name New Somalia because things are much more liberal and unstructured in those camp grounds.

A couple people jump rope in the furtherst camping grounds at the Gorge in George Washington. This area has been given the nick name New Somalia because things are much more liberal and unstructured in those camp grounds.

A man jumps through a hula-hoop while by the mainstage at Sasquatch Music Festival.

The Sasquatch main stage during the Flaming Lips show.

The Flaming Lips front man Wayne Coyne ventures into the crowd in an orb. The Flaming Lips are known for putting on an extravagant show.

The Sasquatch main stage was packed with people during the Flaming Lips set.

Sam Roberts playing the single "I Feel You" live at Sasquatch.

Sam Roberts Band bassist James Hall plucks his vintage Rickenbacker at the Sasquatch Music Festival in central Washington.

The Sam Roberts Band posing for a picture after their show on the Big-Foot Stage.

A man practices poi-poi during the day at the festival campgrounds at Sasquatch. He said that we should come back at night when he gets the fire going.

A mother carries her child as they watch Wolf Parade at the Sasquatch mainstage. It is not uncommon for parents to bring children to the four day long music festival.

A group of shirtless men jump around while watching Flogging Molly at the main stage along the Gorge in George, Washington.

A man is held up above the heads of fans watching the Sam Roberts Band perform at the Big-Foot Stage at Sasquatch Music Festival.

A women leans in to whisper into the ear of her friend while standing at the top of the hill at the Gorge in George, Washington.

The Decemberists played one of the last shows at the 2011 Sasquatch Music Festival. Many fans watched the show from the slopes of the main stage hill.

Someone drove their old Thunderbird to the Gorge. It's an odd sight to see such an old car in a dangerous place like Sasquatch.

A man sleeps in the grass while Sasquatch Music Festival happens around him.

Deer Hunter guitarist Lockette Pundt performs on the final night of the 2011 Sasquatch Music Festival.

Deer Hunter plays on the Big-Foot Stage on the final night of 2011 Sasquatch Music Festival.

Deer Hunter guitarist and singer Bradford Cox plays the final night at the 2011 Sasquatch Music Festival.

A Sasquatch fan takes a minute to lean against a fence and find himself.

In total, I took over 2000 photographs. These were some of the better pictures I shot over the four day festival. There may be some new additions to upload later but these will do for now.

4 responses to “Photo-Safari @ Sasquatch!”

ahh!! Great work! I was just surfing for some sasquatch shots and these cae up. You do an awesome job of capturing some of the more raw and oh-so-sas moments (i.e. man gathering himself at the fence/portapotties) as well as the essential band shots. Thanks a lot! I was there – it was a ton of fun. Did you get any shots of the insane litter left everywhere? I loved the music but the festival itself seemed really absurd. Just full of corporate branding and trash…

I was able to photograph the litter and junk during the 2010 Sasquatch. Just mountains of beer cans and waste in the camp site.

Sasquatch is such a weird event because you have all these kids consuming various drugs and alcohol in some pursuit to remake a pseudo-’60s. But, the corporatism is blatantly stamped on everything so it creates this movement of pure hedonism.

It’s a real blast to photograph. Like a musical circus. Everyone’s just waiting to get photographed.